LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Ongoing uncertainty about letting Russian athletes attempt to qualify for the Paris Olympics impacts “less than half” of its 32 sports activities, the umbrella group of Summer Games governing our bodies stated on Friday.

Those sports activities have an pressing want for extra readability from the International Olympic Committee with qualification occasions pending lower than 17 months earlier than the opening ceremony in Paris.

Most sports activities our bodies are nonetheless imposing a year-old ban on Russia and its army ally Belarus due to their struggle in Ukraine — a ban really helpful by the IOC citing the safety of athletes earlier than shifting its place as Paris nears.

In January, the IOC requested sports activities our bodies to search out methods for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals.

“There are two issues for us,” Association of Summer Olympic International Federations government director Andrew Ryan stated on Friday after a gathering of its council. “The clock is ticking. We can’t just leave it open forever before there’s a decision.

“The different is, if we will embody Russian athletes, impartial ones, what’s the definition of neutrality? I do not suppose it is extremely simple to search out that.”

The seven-member ASOIF council representing the Paris sports met for the first time since the IOC said it hoped to find a way for athletes who have not actively supported the war to return to international competition as neutrals.

IOC president Thomas Bach has said history will be on its side for trying to bring athletes together in peace and not discriminating based just on a person’s passport.

The backlash in Ukraine has been led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and past and current Olympic medalists who insist Russia must be excluded from Paris. The host city mayor Anne Hidalgo has said there should be no Russian delegation if the war continues.

Though some countries in northern Europe and the Baltics have talked of boycotting Paris, a statement last week from 35 nations — including the United States, Britain and Germany — urged the IOC to define a “workable ‘neutrality’ mannequin” for athletes.

One IOC-backed option for Russians and Belarusians to compete in Asian qualifying events was already rejected by World Archery, whose president took part in Friday’s meeting.

“Each sport has totally different realities,” Ugur Erdener told reporters. Archery cited the nature of the sport’s knockout format and balance of continental entries to the Olympics.

There are questions if team sports and combat sports could accept even neutral athletes. Ukraine boycotted an Olympic qualifier in judo last year when Russians were allowed to compete as neutrals.

Russia already missed the chance to qualify in soccer from Europe and would be unlikely to qualify anyway in sports such as golf and field hockey.

“It would not truly apply to 32 (sports activities),” ASOIF’s Ryan said of the complex range of challenges facing “lower than half” its members.

“Under the present circumstances it is all unclear,” he said, adding Russians and Belarusians currently “do not compete for their very own good as a lot as something, after which once we get some solutions from the IOC we will discover.”

The IOC government board chaired by Bach subsequent meets on March 28-30 in Lausanne.